Haven't Flown in Over 6 Months and Nervous About Trip next week - Fear Of Flying Forum - All - Fear Of Flying - Message Board Yuku

SOAR

0 Kudos

Add Reply New Topic

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Haven't Flown in Over 6 Months and Nervous About Trip next week

Author	Comment
jittery	Haven't Flown in Over 6 Months and Nervous About Trip next week	Lead	[-]
Posts: 25 (06/09/09 08:48:18) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None Hi everyone, I am flying from chicago to Philly and back next week via United. I am flying alone and my anxiety levels are pretty high. I go to sleep and wake up thinking about my upcoming trip. One of the flights is an Airbus 320, which I know are safe, but Airbus has gotten a lot of bad press in recent months, and the recent Air France crash is not helping to calm my nerves. I am also worried about what I ready about a Continental flight flying over Dallas last week -- according the the news, the pilot saw a missle near his flight (surprised no one posted about this), and recent article I read about flight 1549 (also an Airbus) that landed in the Hudson river earlier this year: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/09/bird-proof-engines-pilot-training-chief-concern-ntsb-officials/ (cut and paste into your web browser). Should we now be worried about birds? I would love Captain Tom's input on this and the Continental flight. There hasn't been much information about the latter. Thank you in advance for your feedback!
Capt Tom Bunn MSW LCSW		#1	[-]
Posts: 2593 (06/09/09 09:46:45) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Could be some amateur rocket person. Every few years we hear of something like that.
jittery		#2	[-]
Posts: 26 (06/13/09 17:10:03) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Getting ready to fly in 2 days and am nervous! I'm bringing lots of things to do to keep me busy, but I just want the whole trip to be over with. Thunderstorms are in the forecast.
MeghansNerves		#3	[-]
Posts: 212 (06/15/09 05:17:21) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Me too, Jittery! I fly on Wednesday and Saturday. Just remember, thunderstorms are nothing new to pilots or the industry. They will divert or delay if it's a threat. If not, you will fly safely just as you would without them. We will both be OK! Meghan
esprit12		#4	[-]
Posts: 79 (06/15/09 05:52:50) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Meghan, You are the voice of reason! Thanks. jittery, remember for us fearful fliers waiting for the flight is usually the most difficult part. I'm preparing for a flight on Saturday and have probably logged on to this web site hundreds of times in the last week. Somehow reading and writing these posts helps to calm me down. I live near D.C. and thunderstorms are something we have to deal with almost every day in the late afternoon. I can empathize with your nervousness. But Meghan is right. Pilots know how to deal with these storms and will fly around them when necessary. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise to help lessen your anxiety. Hope you both enjoy your trips! Pam
jittery		#5	[-]
Posts: 27 (06/15/09 06:51:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thank you Meghan and Pam! You're right---I think waiting for the flight is the worst. I didn't get much sleep last night. I do feel most anxious during take off, but I brought plenty to do to keep me occupied. I am flying alone this time, and for some reason this makes me feel more anxiety (not having someone there to talk to or help). Anyways, my taxi picks me up in a about 1-1/2 hours and then my journey begins! Good luck to both of you this week! Please post and let us all know how it goes!
MeghansNerves		#6	[-]
Posts: 213 (06/15/09 13:06:54) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Let us know how it goes, Jittery! And think how good you will feel when you do it. And I am better at being the voice of reason to others --I still get fearful, especially at the gate. But I've come a long way thanks to SOAR and the good folks here. I also hate takeoff. Lately, for some reason, I begin to count as soon as the plane begins accelerating on the ground. Something repetitive and calming about it for me. And I'm always surprised that by 40 or 50 we're already pretty leveled out and the "worst" is over. Sometimes I just keep on counting to 100 or even 200 --to keep the calmness it gives me. Maybe it works sort of like the 5-4-3-2-1: part distraction, part what is rather than what if. Then I get bored counting, and feel happy that we're already well into the air and that I have the luxury of feeling a bit bored. Maybe a dumb trick, but it's one I developed and it helps me. I agree with espirit12 --we're all flying this week, so let's keep touching base and celebrate together when we're done! Meghan

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Note from Capt. Tom

I know everyone worries about weather, but pilots really do not worry about it. We simply - instead of worrying about it - completely prepare for it. Before going to the plane, we review the weather at the destination. If it is not 100% sure to be within legal limits when we arrive at the destination, we must specify an alternate airport in our planning documents, and load on plenty of fuel for going to the destination airport, and then if need be, diverting to the alternate airport.

The legal limits are conservative. Even when weather is slightly outside the legal limits, any airline pilot could still land safely. You can rely on the captain never to land when the weather is not legal, and legality limits are reached prior to safety limits.

If you are still anxious, call me and we can talk it over. I'm at 877 332-7359 from 10 AM until 7 PM Eastern time.

For effective help, even if you are flying in a day or two, sign up now at www.fearofflying.com/fasttrack and call me when you finish Clip 9 so I can make sure you are all set.

Using Weather Information

If you enter your ZIP Code or City at the top of the weather presentation, it will give you weather for your area. Or, you can enter your destination ZIP Code or City.

Click on the "LOCAL RADAR" button to see whether or not there are thunder-
storms. Keep in mind, however, that we can either fly above the storms when cruising or fly through gaps between storms. During landing, we cannot fly above them, but fly through gaps, or through the area of the storms where the turbulence is least.

Turbulence, though it may cause anxiety, does not mean anything is wrong. Turbulence does not mean danger. The plane can handle far more turbulence than Mother Nature can dish out.

Though flying in turbulence is safe, it doesn't feel safe. And here is where the SOAR programs come in. We can help you feel as safe when you fly as you actually are.

You can see these programs at www.fearofflying.com/store.

For questions on aviation or the psychology of aerophobia, click here to e-mail Capt. Tom Bunn, MSW, LCSW.

To contact the SOAR business office (media contacts, brochures, replacement tapes, billing, shipping), click here to e-mail Lisa Hauptner, MS.